IT appears that after another NRL season of consistent inconsistency from the bulk of the refereeing ranks, the NRL may be about to trial a new way to find that elusive quality week in week out.
League Unlimited has learned that the NRL is moving on an idea to have a regular season game officiated by a pair of referees using an interchange format.
While information at this stage is sketchy, the likely game will feature a pair of teams out of finals contention, so no contending team could point to ?inconsistency? costing them a lucrative playoff birth.
Games that fit the profile from Round 25 include South Sydney vs. Cronulla and the Wests Tigers against North Queensland. With all four teams mathematically eliminated from mid-September action, it gives the NRL the opportunity to trial their less experienced referees under an interchange format.
Not surprisingly, the most consistent referees this year are indeed the only three fulltime referees employed by the NRL. Bill Harrigan, Steve Clark, and Tim Mander are clearly a cut above their part-time counterparts and the NRL may use this experiment to possibly pair off the part-timers for the coming seasons.
Even if this experiment is indeed a one off, you have to give the NRL marks for trying something to get consistency back into rugby league.

IT appears that after another NRL season of consistent inconsistency from the bulk of the refereeing ranks, the NRL may be about to trial a new way to find that elusive quality week in week out.
League Unlimited has learned that the NRL is moving on an idea to have a regular season game officiated by a pair of referees using an interchange format.
While information at this stage is sketchy, the likely game will feature a pair of teams out of finals contention, so no contending team could point to ?inconsistency? costing them a lucrative playoff birth.
Games that fit the profile from Round 25 include South Sydney vs. Cronulla and the Wests Tigers against North Queensland. With all four teams mathematically eliminated from mid-September action, it gives the NRL the opportunity to trial their less experienced referees under an interchange format.
Not surprisingly, the most consistent referees this year are indeed the only three fulltime referees employed by the NRL. Bill Harrigan, Steve Clark, and Tim Mander are clearly a cut above their part-time counterparts and the NRL may use this experiment to possibly pair off the part-timers for the coming seasons.
Even if this experiment is indeed a one off, you have to give the NRL marks for trying something to get consistency back into rugby league.

IT appears that after another NRL season of consistent inconsistency from the bulk of the refereeing ranks, the NRL may be about to trial a new way to find that elusive quality week in week out.
League Unlimited has learned that the NRL is moving on an idea to have a regular season game officiated by a pair of referees using an interchange format.
While information at this stage is sketchy, the likely game will feature a pair of teams out of finals contention, so no contending team could point to ?inconsistency? costing them a lucrative playoff birth.
Games that fit the profile from Round 25 include South Sydney vs. Cronulla and the Wests Tigers against North Queensland. With all four teams mathematically eliminated from mid-September action, it gives the NRL the opportunity to trial their less experienced referees under an interchange format.
Not surprisingly, the most consistent referees this year are indeed the only three fulltime referees employed by the NRL. Bill Harrigan, Steve Clark, and Tim Mander are clearly a cut above their part-time counterparts and the NRL may use this experiment to possibly pair off the part-timers for the coming seasons.
Even if this experiment is indeed a one off, you have to give the NRL marks for trying something to get consistency back into rugby league.

SYDNEY Airport Jets halfback and captain Craig Field gave a bravura performance at Henson Park on Saturday afternoon, even though the Parramatta Eels eventually won this NSW Premier League match by 46-38.

POSITIONS have now been sorted in New Zealand's Bartercard Cup competition following the end of the Rounds leading to the semis starting next weekend. Canterbury Bulls have earned themselves a week's grace after finishing top of the table.

THE Dragons have made two changes this week, with former international centre Mark Gasnier back after a month on the injury bench and a 12th NRL rookie named for the important round 24 Telstra Premiership clash with the Storm at WIN Stadium on Friday night.

THE top eight looks settled with Roosters, the mighty Panthers, Canterbury, Canberra all sitting comfortably in the top four. Four points back, the Broncos, Storm, Warriors and Knights are sitting on 28 points to make up the remainder of the cut.